Edward davis



No. 620,703. Patented Mar. 7, I899. E. DAVIS.

MUNICIPAL SIGNAL.

(Application filed Dec. 16, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

WITNESSES; I INVENTEI Ri No. 620,703. Patented Mar. 7, I899."

E. DAVIS.

MUNICIPAL SIGNAL. (Application filed Dec. 16, 1898.) (No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

TN: Noam: Farms (20., PHQTO-LlTNO-. WASHWGTON, n c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

EDIVARD DAVIS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO MEYER A. BERNHEIMER AND RALPH W. GORDON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MUNICIPAL SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 620,703, dated March '7, 1899.

Application filed December 16, 1898. Serial No. 699,426. (No model.)

To (0% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD DAVIS, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Municipal Signals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide improved means for signaling between two points, such as the substation and the central station of a police signaling system, the particular object of the invention being to put the central office in control of the circuit in such manner as to render certain signals audible or not, according to the will of the attendant at the said central office.

The invention consists in the improvements which I shall now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a diagrammatic view of a signaling system organized in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of one of the transmittinginstruments employed. Fig. 3 represents a side elevation of the same, looking from the other side. Fig. 4 represents a rear elevation thereof. Fig. 5 represents a detail edge View of the contacting wheel in the transmitting instrument. Fig. 6 represents a side elevation of the receiving instrument. Fig. 7 represents a side elevation thereof, looking from the other side. Fig. 8 represents a detail side elevation of the alarmcircuit controller. Fig. 9 represents an end elevation of said alarm-circuit controller, with a portion of the base of the receiving instrument shown in section. Fig. 10 represents an enlarged sectional view of a portion of said alarm-circuit controller.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

Referring to the drawings, in Fig. 1 at the right the receiving instrument at the central station is shown in diagram, while at the left is shown a portion of a transmitting instrument A, connected through circuit-wires m m with the receiving instrument. A number of other transmitting instruments may be included in the circuit, two such (represented by the letters B and 0) being shown in Fig. 1 connected in series with the transmitter A. The transmitting instrument consists, essentially, of a device formakingasuccession of breaks in the current over the main line in order to transmit a signal, the main circuit being normally closed. These changes in the circuit are received at the central station by the receiving instrument, which makes a record of the signal, and which also has provisions for ringing an alarm when signals of a certain character are received. The transmitting instrument is constructed as follows: a and a are respectively a gearwheel and a pinion, having teeth which intermesh with each other. The main-line current flows through these members, from one to the other when the teeth of the two intermesh. The former has certain of its teeth removed, so as to make breaks in the circuit when the wheels are revolved, which breaks will be felt by-the receivinginstrument. The full complement of teeth a, a of the gearwheel 0. (represented in Fig. 1) would be sixty, while the pinion a has twelve leaves or teeth. At 2 a space is represented from which two teeth have been removed, and at 3 is a similar space, the two spaces being separated by a single tooth, as shown. Following the space 3 is a series of twelve teeth, and after this are two spaces 4 5, separated by a single tooth and each representing two teeth. Following the space 5 is a series of three teeth, and after this are three equal spaces 6 7 8, each representing two teeth-and each separated by a tooth. After the space 8 the series of teeth is complete to the starting-point. It will therefore be seen thatshould the gear-wheel a make one complete revolution in the direction of the arrow from its position represented in Fig. 1 and the pinion a be revolved through the open spaces as though teeth were present two short breaks would first be made in the current followed by a long pause, then two short breaks, a short pause, and three short breaks in succession. The contact or gear wheel a is mounted on one 'side of an insulating-disk j, on the other side of which is a gear-wheel j of the same pitch and diameter as the wheel a, but having teeth opposite the spaces of the wheel a and spaces opposite the teeth of said wheel. Both of the wheels at and j mesh with the pinion a, so

that the wheel j always carries the pinion over the places in the wheel a in which there are no teeth, While a good contact is always in-' snred between the teeth of the Wheel a, and the teeth of the pinion a. Vith teeth of a certain pitch the length of the breaks in the circuit caused by the spaces in the wheel a may be varied for a given speed of rotation of said wheel by varying the size of the pinion a, for with pinions of a larger diameter and hence greater number of teeth there will always be more of the pinion-teeth in contact with the gear-teeth at any one time than with a pinion of smaller diameter, so that the breaks caused by the spaces in the wheel a will be shorter for the said larger pinions and longer for the smaller pinions.

On the arbor of the gear-wheels aj is a pinion j", meshing with a gear-wheel 9' on an arborj s. The arbor 7' of the pinion a carries an escape-wheel 1' engaged by a pallet j. The arbor 7' on which the gear j is loosely mounted, has rigidly attached to its ends a yoke 7' and also at one end a ratchet-wheelj A small clock-spring is also attached to the said arbor 7' and to the frame of the transmitter, and a plunger or push 9' engaging a studj on the yokej is employed to oscillate said yoke, as represented by the dottedlines in Fig. 3. A pawl j pivotally mounted on the gear 7' is held in engagement with the ratchet j by means of a springj". j is a partition representing a portion of the inner door of apolice signaling-box. j is a base or frame of insulating material attached to the door J and carrying the parts of the transmitter. When'it .is desired to actuate the transmitter, the plungerj is pushed in as far as it will go and then released. The ratchet j is thereby advanced a distance of one tooth under the pawl j and upon the release of the plunger the spring 9' which has been by this action put under increased tension, causes the rotation of the-train of wheels at a speed controlled by the escapement. A suitable stop is provided to limit the movement of the gearwheel a to one complete rotation, said stop comprising an arm 3' secured to the arbor 7' and adapted to engage a pin j carried on a pivotal arm 3' The latter is pivotally connected by means of a link j with an arm 7' secured to the arbor 7' When the plunger j is pushed in, the armj assumes the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, in which its pin 3' is out of the path of the arm 3'. The latter is permitted to make five complete revolutions, which is equivalent to one complete revolution of the wheel ct, before being engaged by the said pin 9' municated to the wheel a by means of a metal brush or spring a and to the pinion a by means of brushes a a in contact with the arbor 3' On the insulating-disk j, upon which' the gear-wheels a andj are secured, is mounted a metal plate a adapted to make contact, when the wheel a is in its normal position of rest, with two brushes a a, one of Current is com-- which is electrically connected with the pinion a and with the circuit-wire m, while the other is electrically connected with the gearwheel a and with the circuit-wire m. In the main circuit with the transmitter A are included a battery E and a relay-magnet b. The armature b of the latter is normally held by the attraction of said magnet, due to the current flowing through the line, against the poles of the magnet; but when the line-current is interrupted a spring b draws the said armature or the pivotal part carrying the same against a contact b This completes a circuit through two magnets 0 (Z in the receiving instrument, which are connected in series with each other and witha battery F. The armature of the magnet 0 is mounted on a pivotal arm 0', at the end of which is a mark ing-point 0 Above the latter is a thin-edged roller 0 supplied with ink by an ink-roll c and between the roller 0 and the point 0 runs a tape'e, which unwinds from a reel e A pivoted lever f has one arm resting upon the lever c and the other arm equipped with proj ections f and f. The proj ection f is adapted to engage any one of a series of notches f f in a wheel f For revolving the said wheel f a clock-train G is provided, operated by a weight attached to a cord g, which winds on a barrel g and controlled by an escapement g. On the arbor of the escape-wheel is a stoparm f adapted to be engaged by the second projection f on the lever f. The tape a is propelled by means of rolls 8 6 the former of which is driven by the clock-train. H is a bell-circuit controller mounted on an arbor 72- which is rotated by the clock-train G. It will be seen that the first interruption in the main circuit caused by the brake 2 in the gear-wheel a will close a circuit through the magnet 0, whose armature is normally held elevated by means of a spring 0 Figs. 6 and 7. Said armature is thereby attracted and the lever c oscillated on its pivot, causing the long end of the same to rise and elevate the lever f. This disengages the projection f from the notch f in the disk f with which it is in engagement, and likewise disengages the projection f from the stop-arm f,whercted to rotate. The cessation of the impulse in the magnet 0 causes the arm 0 to drop and allows the projection f to rest against the periphery of the now-revolving disk f As soon as the next succeeding notch f comes by the wheels of the clock-train are permitunderneath the projection f the latter will fall into the said notch and bring the projection f into the path of the arm f This occurs after one complete revolution of the bellcircuit controller H.v The armature of the magnet d is carried at the lower end of a pivotal arm d, which carries a spring-brush d and has a pin d projecting from its upper end.

i is a bell, one of whose terminals is connected with a brush d, having electrical connection through the arm d with the springbrush (Z and the other of whose terminals is connected with a metal disk h, forming a part of the circuit-controller H. The bellcircuit also includes a battery J. In the disk h is bored a series of holes 7L its, and on the face of said disk is mounted a disk h of insulating material, the latter carrying a pin h, adapted to enter any of the holes 725. Said insulating-disk loosely surrounds the arbor 7L2 and is held against the face of the disk h by means of a spring h, interposed between a nut 7L7 on the end of the arbor and a knob 7L8, screwed into the center of the disk k Extending part way around the periphery of the insulating-disk 71 is a projecting flange h", and the gap between the ends of the latter is partly filled by a boss 7L extending from the rim to the center of the disk. Between said boss and the flange h are short gaps or spaces 9 10. The relation of the pivotal arm d and its connected parts with the disk 72. is such that if the magnet 61 attracts its armature while the space 9 is opposite the pin (1 on the upper end of the arm (1' and the disk its is revolved said pin d will enter the gap 9 and become engaged with the flange he, as represented in Fig. 8, causing the rim of the metal disk 72/ to be brought into engagement with the spring-brush d on the arm (1. bell 2' and causes the same to ring. The rim of the disk 72/ is cut away for a portion of its length, as represented, so that the circuit will not ordinarilybeimmediately completed upon the entrance of the pin (1 into the gap 9. \Vhen the pin 61 has been engaged by the flange its, the continued revolution of the disk 7L3 brings the boss h into engagement with the said pin and the said boss exerts a cam action upon the pin (1 and moves it out again to the rim of the disk 7L which action breaks the bell-circuit. The arm (1 has no spring attached to it, but is frictionally mounted on its pivot and is moved only by the magnet d or by the described cam action of the boss h In order to secure the best results with the apparatus,the bell-circuit controller H should be timed to revolve substantially in unison with the gear-wheel a. The synchronism need not be exact, but should be approximate.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: Using the transmitter shown in the drawings as an illustration, it maybe supposed that the plunger j has been pushed in and released. In order to prevent any interruption of the current between the gear-wheel a and the pinion ct,due to the pressure of the former against the latter being relieved when the plunger is pushed in, the brushes a a are made to cooperate with the contact-plate a in order to preserve the circuit until the wheel a has started to revolve. The first break 2 in the said gear-wheel a actu ates the relay 1) and energizes the magnets o and d. This causes the release of the gear-train G and starts the bellcircuit controller II in revolution and at the same time a dot is imprinted 011 the tape 6. The next break 3 imprints another dot on-the This completes a circuit through the tape, after which a comparatively long pause occurs, and then two dots in quick succession, followed by three more dots in quick succession, are imprinted on the said tape by the action of the spaces 4 5 6 7 8. If the insulatin g-disk h in the receiver has been so adj usted with respect to the disk 7?. as to bring the gap 9 opposite the pin 01 during the time that the two breaks 2 3 in the wheel a are passing the inion a, the attraction by the magnet 11 of its armature, will cause the pin d to enter the gap 9 and close the bell-circuit; but if such passage of the gap 9 past the pin (i does not occur at the time that the breaks 2 and 3 are passing the pinion a the pin will not enter the gap, but willremain on theoutside of the rim of the disk h If the magnet 11 attracts its armaturewhen the disk h is presentinga continuous portion of its periphery, such as any part of the flange h or the edge of the boss h, to the pin (1 said pin will merely be pressed against said portion during the existence of the impulse, but will produce no effect on the bell-circuit. Since the disk It may be adjusted to any'desired relation with respect to the metal disk h, which latter is always in a fixed relation to the clock-train, this adjustment being accomplished by moving the said disk 71, out from the face of the disk h to insert the pin it in the proper hole 7?, it follows that it is at the option of the attendant at the receiving-station to receiveor not to receive an audible signal from the transmitter A. In adapting myinvention to a police signaling system each of the street-boxes or substations will ordinarily be equipped with several transmitters A, each comprising two contact-wheels a a and push mechanism for actuating the same, for the purpose of transmitting signals of different character to the central station. The several transmitters are connected in series with the line m m and each is synchronized with the bell-circuit controller II in the receiving instrument, as previously described. The peripheries of the gear wheels a in the several transmitters contained in the street-box preferably have their teeth so disposed as to give first the special signal corresponding to that transmitter and then the number of the box, both of which signals are recorded on the tape of the receiving instrument. If the central offlce wishes to be noti fied when a certain signal is turned in without having to Watch the tape for the record of the transmitter giving that signal, the attendant merely adjusts the disk h on its base h so that the gap 9 will be brought opposite the pin (1 at the same moment that a blank space on thewheel a of that particular transmitter is passing the pinion a. The resulting break in the line-circuit will then energize the magnet cl at the proper moment to move the pin (1 into the gap 9 and close the bell-circuit. The scheme of the spacing 'on the contact-wheels of the several transmitters must of course be known to the receiving attendant in order to enable him to set the receiver for an audible alarm on any desired signal.

Having thus explained the nature of my invention and described a Way of constructing and using the same, although without having attempted to set forth all the forms in which it may be embodied or all the modes of its use, I declare that what I claim is p 1. In a system for transmitting signals, the combination of transmitting apparatus adapted to transmit a number of signals of differing characteristics, a receiver adapted to receive said signals, an alarm, and an alarmcircuit-controlling apparatus in part con trolled by the receiver, and in part controlled by the transmitting apparatus, these parts being relatively adjustable to permit the sounding of the alarm for any of said signals While excluding others at the will of the receiving attendant.

'2. In a system for transmitting signals, the combination of a transmitter having main circuit controllers adapted to transmit a number of different signals, and motor mechanism for driving said controllers, an alarm, and a receiver adapted to receive said signals and having an alarm-circuit controller and a motor for driving the same, the said alarm-circuit controller being set in motion by a current impulse from the transmitter and synchronized therewith,and having provisions for ad justment to cause the alarm to be sounded for any of said signals, While excluding others, at the will of the receiving attendant.

3. In a system for transmitting signals, the combination of the main circuit, an alarm, a clock-train, an alarm-circuit controller driven by said clock-train and comprising a rotary part having fixed starting and stopping points, a part adjustable thereon to difierent positions,a movable member cooperating with said part in the control of the alarm-circuit, and an electromagnet controlled from the main circuit and adapted to move the last said part.

4:. In a system for transmitting signals, the combination of the main circuit, an alarm, a clock-train, an alarm-circuit controller driven by said clock-train, and comprising a rotary part having fixed starting and stopping points and carrying one terminal of the alarmcircuit, a part adjustable thereon to difierent positions and having a segmental peripheral flange and a peripheral boss separated by spaces from the ends of said flange, a movable arm carrying the other terminal of the alarm-circuit and having a projection -normallylocated outside of said segmental flange but adapted to pass inside thereof and thereby bring the alarm-circuit terminals into contact, and an electromagnet controlled from the main circuit and adapted to operate said arm.

' 5. In a system for transmitting signals, the combination of a main circuit, a transmitter adapted to transmit a number of different signals over said circuit, an audible alarm, and a receiver comprising a recording mechanism adapted to record said signals, an electromagnet for operating said mechanism, an alarm-circuit controller controlled by the receiver, and an electromagnet cooperating therewith to operate the alarm-circuit, the said electromagnets being energized by all the current impulses from the transmitter, and the alarm-circuit controller being adjustable and so constructed as to cause the alarm to be sounded for any of said signals, While excluding others, at the will of the receiving attendant.

6. In a system for transmitting signals, the combination of a transmitter comprising a pair of gear-Wheels forming the terminals of a circuit and having their teeth engaged, one of said wheels having an incomplete number of teeth, whereby one or more breaks are made in the circuit, means for rotating said gear-wheels, and a receiver adapted to re= spond to the current impulses impressed on the circuit by said transmitter.

7. In a system for transmitting signals, the combination of a transmitter comprising a gear-train including a pair of intermeshing gear-Wheels which form the terminals of an electric circuit, one of said gear-Wheels having less than its full complement of teeth, whereby one or more breaks are made in said circuit, and a gear-wheel included in the train on the same arbor with the last said gear and having teeth opposite the place or places where the latter lacks teeth, and lackingteeth opposite the place or places where the latter has teeth, means for driving said gear-train, and a receiver adapted to respond to the current impulses impressed on the circuit by said transmitter.

8. In a system for transmitting signals, the combination of a transmitter comprising a gear-train including a pair of intermeshing gears which form the terminals of a circuit and are constructed to impress a series of current changes on said circuit, a spring or equivalent for driving said gears, an actuator connected with said spring and adapted to start the train in motion, and a switch adapted to maintain the circuit complete during the manipulation of said actuator, and a receiver adapted to respond to the current impulses impressed on the circuit by said transmitter.

9. In a system for transmitting signals, the combination of a transmitting apparatus, adapted to transmit a number of different signals, a receiver adapted to receive said signals, an alarm, and an alarmircuit-controlling apparatus, with provision for adjustment to cause or permit the sounding of any of said signals, or to exclude all of said signals, at the option of the receiving attendant; said controlling apparatus being under the joint control of the receiver and the transmitting apparatus.

10. In a system for transmitting signals, the combination of atransmitting apparatus adapted to transmit a number of dilferent signals, an alarm, and a receiver adapted to receive said signals, with an alarm-circuitcontrolling apparatus consisting of two cooperating elements, one responsive to all the signals sent by the transmitter, and the other under the control of the receiver and adj ustable to cause the alarm to be affected by any one, or none, of the signals, at the will of the receiving attendant.

11. In a system for transmitting signals the combination of a transmitting apparatus adapted to transmit a number of difierent signals, a receiver adapted to receive said EDWARD DAVIS.

Witnesses:

R. M. PIERsoN, M. 13. MAY. 

